BREAKING NEWS: Mercedes GP joins Formula E in 2018

Mercedes gets ready to join Formula E in 2018, after signing an agreement to enter the fifth season, which starts in two years.

Subject to approval of the FIA, the deal struck by Mercedes Grand Prix Ltd (MGP) with Formula E Operations Ltd gives Mercedes the option to take one of the two new entries that will be allocated for 2018.

Season five will not only be the first featuring Mercedes on the starting grid, but also the first when the all-electric racing series goes from the current format of two cars per driver, to a single car – required to be used for a race’s entirety.

“We have been watching the growth of Formula E with great interest. At the current time, we are looking at all the options available in the future of motor racing, and we are very pleased with an agreement that secures us an opportunity to enter the series in Season 5. Electrification will play a major role in the future of the automotive industry. Racing has always been a technology R&D platform for industry and this will make Formula E very relevant in the future,” said Toto Wolff, Executive Director of Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team.

The current 10 teams in Formula E are all expected to continue in Season 5 and beyond, on their current format, or joining forces with other OEM’s.

With the Mercedes announcement regarding the brand’s debut in Formula E coming straight from its Formula 1 team headquarters in Brackley, it is easy to speculate that the all-new electric-dedicated Grand Prix team could access the F1 technology and facilities.